ROBBINSVILLE — Part of a development plan that has caused tension and sparked litigation between the township and developer Sharbell in the past was approved in a unanimous vote by the planning board tonight.

Passed with little discussion were Sharbell’s plans to build 14 single-family homes, 16 townhomes, 24 condominiums and a new building for township nonprofit Project Freedom on the municipality’s 400-acre Gordon-Simpson tract.

The ruling put to rest part of a dispute that has been brewing between Robbinsville and the developer for years and is working its way through the courts.

Still in question are the plans for a proposed 150-unit neighborhood on the same Gordon-Simpson plot. Those plans came under fire in 2011 when Sharbell applied to remove the 55-and-over requirement originally intended for the neighborhood.

In its application, the developer cited a 2009 state law designed to relieve a glut in age-restricted housing.

According to the measure, developers can apply to remove age restrictions from previously approved projects, provided they designate 20 percent of the units for affordable housing.

When the planning board denied Sharbell’s application, the developer took the town to court, winning the suit in the lower courts.

Robbinsville appealed that decision, but Sharbell was successful once again in the appellate court. Last month, the township filed a motion with the state Supreme Court to review the appellate court’s ruling.

In the past, Robbinsville Mayor Dave Fried has argued that the state law takes away a municipality’s ability to control how its community is planned. He has also said that, with no age restrictions, the neighborhood could bring in nearly 60 more school children to the area, and with them, the potential to sharply increase taxes to cover the influx of students.

While Fried would not comment on the exact cost of legally fighting Sharbell over the measure, the town’s most recent budget includes nearly $237,000 for legal services, and an additional $13,000 in anticipated legal costs was requested at a recent council meeting by Robbinsville’s economic development and community planning director Tim McGough.

Sharbell senior vice president Tom Troy has said the company has spent $250,000 on the application and legal fees.